A leading member of the English Defence League banned from every football ground in the country has been spotted heading for Arsenal matches, the Old Bailey heard.

Joel Titus, 21, was banned from football after he led a mass brawl outside Liverpool Street station more than two years ago.

At that time he led Brentford fans in a charge on rival Leyton Orient supporters.

But he has dodged the ban by switching allegiance to Arsenal and joining fellow hooligans in pubs, stations and on supporters coaches, the court was told.

The leader of the youth wing of the EDL has also moved to Highbury to be closer to Arsenal's Emirates Stadium.

When he was arrested during one clash he was found with a hard-knuckle Kevlar glove - the same type of weapon he used during the earlier Liverpool Street fight.

Police are now applying for his football banning order to be extended to prevent a repeat of his behaviour.

Judge Timothy Pontius will pass sentence today.

The court heard yesterday that Titus had been spotted mixing with other hooligans before home games with Swansea, Queens Park Rangers and Marseilles last season.

He also travelled in a minivan to a fixture at Swansea’s Liberty Stadium last January and took a supporters’ coach to Stoke in April.

Prosecutor Kathryn Hirst said: “His conduct since the imposition of the banning order has been calculated to allow him to attend matches for a different club, or certainly the areas where fans congregate.

“It is Arsenal FC that it seems, subsequent to the order, has been the focus of his association with what are described as risk groups.”

Titus was arrested after he was found near the Emirates on the day Arsenal played Swansea in September last year.

He was interviewed by police, but not charged on the advice of the Crown Prosecution Service.

At the age of 19 the hooligan had been sentenced to nine months in a young offenders institution in April after he admitted affray.

The media studies student also boasted on his Facebook page about taking part in clashes between West Ham and Millwall fans.

Titus, of Highbury, claims he had no intention of taking part in violence.

He says he was visiting family members nearby when he was spotted by police and admitted he was subject to a banning order.